Cybertracker
Art in Cape Town

CyberTracker Software integrated for the use of tracking animals, birds, insects and other creatures in the animal kingdom through the latest in modern science and technology - an ancient art in a modern world.

CyberTracker is being used worldwide by indigenous communities, in protected areas, scientific research, citizen science, environmental education, forestry, farming, social surveys and crime prevention. Scientific reasoning may therefore be an innate ability of the human mind. Yet tracking can be developed into a new science with far-reaching implications for nature conservation. Only by developing tracking into a modern profession, will tracking itself survive into the future. The CyberTracker Tracker Certification enables trackers to get jobs in ecotourism, as rangers in anti-poaching units, in wildlife monitoring and scientific research. Tracker certification have since 1994 resulted in increasing levels of tracking skills in Africa, USA and Europe, thereby reviving tracking as a modern profession. If the art of tracking was the origin of science, then modern-day trackers should be able to do science. It was a demonstration that non-literate trackers can do science. Involving scientists and local communities in key areas of biodiversity, CyberTracker combines indigenous knowledge with state-of-the-art computer and satellite technology. After two million years, Karoha may well be one the last hunters who has been doing the persistence hunt. A significant potential value of long term biodiversity monitoring by communities is that outbreaks of infectious diseases may be detected in time to avert the tragic loss of human lives. The recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has resulted in huge cost in human lives and economic losses. Wild animal outbreaks began before each of the five human Ebola outbreaks. The full richness of the data set will only emerge over time as the data are explored from a number of perspectives. Another example that demonstrates CyberTracker as an invaluable tool for scientific research incorporated behavioural data into the selection of marine protected areas for an endangered killer whale population. The potential richness and complexity of data that trackers can gather is illustrated by the range of data collected in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Information such as the distribution of rare and endangered species, availability of surface water and disease outbreaks are integral in the ongoing management of the park. Scientists use the collected data to facilitate research and assist in making informed management decisions regarding rare species monitoring, fire mapping and ecosystem interactions. CyberTracker is used for mapping community and forest boundaries. In contrast to conventional farming, organic farming minimizes the impact of food production on the environment. CyberTracker is being used by indigenous communities, in national parks, scientific research, citizen science, environmental education, forestry, farming, social surveys and crime prevention. The Relevance of Persistence Hunting to Human Evolution, Journal of Human Evolution. Citizen science: creating an inclusive, global network for conservation. Animal behaviour and marine protected areas: incorporating behavioural data into the selection of marine protected areas for an endangered killer whale population.